Tag: hello

Thailand Traveling {Krabi}

Leave a comment

{Day Three}

Waking up in Krabi on day three we were eager to get to the beach and relax after our busy days exploring Thailand.  We hopped into the hotel’s shuttle {please read: we hopped into the back of a hotel staff member’s pick-up truck} and drove about five minutes or so to the beach… a.k.a. paradise.  The morning was spent soaking in the sun followed by a  beach side lunch of pad thai and mojitos.

After lunch we decided to take a ride on on a long tail boat and head to Rai Leh to check out some more beaches. On our walk from one beach to another we were greeted by monkeys. Real, wild, uncaged monkeys just making their way across the island along a fence. And thus began my 15 minute career as a national geographic photographer.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on Rai Leh relaxing and kayaking until sunset when we headed back to Ao Nang to explore the small town at night.

It was a quick day spent, however, one of my favorites of the trip. There were monkeys after all. The next day we were off to Ko Phi Phi.

{Read about our days in Bangkok if you missed it}

Bupyeong Open Market

Leave a comment

Living in Korea has been an interesting and incredible experience and really nothing like I ever could have imagined. I’ve found that most days I feel like I’m still living in the states.  Everything here moves so fast and a lot of the comforts of home are easy to find in a big city. In fact, I’ve spent many a weekend trying to escape the city in search of a truly authentic Korean experience. The open market has become almost like a sanctuary of some sort for me to escape the hustle and bustle just a quick walk from home. Ironically, this market tends to be bustling itself in a different way.

The open market is essentially like a Korean farmers market on steroids. It’s twisty turny aisles of vendors selling fresh produce, meat, fish, rice cakes, desserts, and more. Many of whom are shouting out greetings or sale prices. It’s tucked away right inside a square of busy streets yet all of the noise of the city seems to disappear. This market has become my nearly weekly grocery shopping market, particularly because it’s the only place I seem to be able to find cilantro in this county. It’s a little spot to quiet down for a moment, practice my…s l o w l y… improving Korean, and enjoy some of the culture of this country.

Thailand Traveling {Bangkok}

1 Comment

One of the deciding factors in my decision to take on this journey and venture out of my comfort zone was the opportunity to travel while on breaks from teaching, and Thailand was at the top of my travel bucket list. Shortly after arriving in Korea, our first long break that could facilitate the  6 hour flight into Bangkok was booked for our 10 day winter vacation.

flght to bangkokOur flight left on Christmas day, which luckily made being away from home for the holidays a little easier. We woke up on the 26th ready to explore Bangkok and see everything.

{Day One}
Our first day started with a ride on a tuk tuk to the river where I was surprised to find out Bangkok operates a great deal via boats on an inner city water way. We hopped on a ferry on our way to discover the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Walking through the gates of these grounds was like entering a magical place where everything is made of gold and sparkling in the sunlight. It’s hard to even put into words what a truly stunning place it is.

BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
Thailand
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha
BBM Korea | Bangkok, Thailand | The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha

Our next stop was Wat Pho or The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This site was far less crowded than the Temple of the Emerald Buddha had been, and while it too was opulent, it had a much more peaceful feeling that I really enjoyed.

As day one in Thailand concluded we ended our day with some pad thai, a beer, and a quick walk through the night market; ready to start day two. pad thai

{Day Two}
Our second day in Thailand was to be a short one as we were scheduled to catch a flight to Krabi  that night. We decided to spend our next day in Bangkok at the Chatuchak Weekend Market. One word to describe the market…INCREDIBLE. As some one who is partial to a market; Korean, Thai, farmers, or otherwise, I could have spent my entire trip to Thailand browsing that market and been completely content. My only regret of the entire trip Chatuchak Weekend Marketwas packing my bags to the brim and not allowing enough room for extra souvenirs, though I have every intention of going back to that market at some point in the near future.

Chatuchak Weekend MarketWe enjoyed a smorgasbord lunch at some of food stalls, before wandering our way out of the market. Then it was back to our hotel where we grabbed our bags before heading to the airport and continuing the trip in Krabi.

hello, there

Leave a comment

BBM KOREAJust over a year ago I ventured out on an unexpected journey. I decided to give up a fantastic job that was quickly blooming into a lifelong career, a charming little apartment in Chicago, and, really, a life that I’d been planning since the age of nine.

So much has happened in this past year. I’ve met incredible people, traveled through Korea and Asia, and learned a lot. In fact, when the opportunity came about to extend this adventure for another year, I leapt for it. So with that said, I’m starting this page, partly for selfish purposes of wanting to save, and relive, memories from these two years, but also for those who I haven’t been able to share the experiences with. I hope anyone who passes by this page enjoys the peek into what has been, and what continues to be, a little snippet of my life in Korea.

I look forward to sharing it.